Inside Story Americas - Will the Pacific Trade Deal Protect Workers? Al Jazeera
go to original December 5, 2012

The 15th round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) began in New Zealand this week. Critics say trade is only a small part of what is being discussed. So why is the TPPA so secretive? Guests: Lori Wallach, Celeste Drake. (AlJazeeraEnglish)

This week saw the beginning of the 15th round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in Auckland, New Zealand.

Led by the US, its supporters describe it as a free-trade pact that would expand US exports. But critics say trade makes up only a small part of what is being discussed.

They argue that the pact will grant far-reaching rights and privileges for corporations, and impose permanent constraints on government regulation.

So far 11 countries are taking part in the negotiations - the US, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Vietnam.

If approved, the TPPA would have implications for a whole range of areas, including access to affordable medicines, food safety and labour rights.

It could even revive elements of the hugely unpopular SOPA act, which placed restrictions on the internet, and was defeated in the US Congress.

Participating countries would also be forced to alter their domestic laws to conform with TPPA rules, something critics of the pact describe as a corporate coup d'etat.

Failure to comply would result in countries being brought before a special court, working outside domestic legal frameworks.

In addition, the three years of negotiations have been conducted in secret with just the delegates themselves and 600 corporate representatives privy to the discussions.

What little is known about the TPPA talks comes from a document leaked earlier this year.

Much remains under wraps, causing concern among legislators and activists in the countries involved, including in the US, where the secrecy contradicts President Barack Obama's consistent promises of assuring everyone of a fair shot and of playing by the same rules.

Inside Story Americas asks: Why is the TPPA so secretive?

Joining the discussion with Shihab Rattansi are guests: Lori Wallach, the director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, and Celeste Drake, a trade specialist from The American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO).

The offices of the US Trade Representative and the US Chamber of Commerce declined Al Jazeera's request to be on the panel.

"By their [US trade negotiators] public statements this really isn't looking to be a radically different trade agreement and that it will generally follow upon the model of prior free trade agreements that we don't think have worked out for US workers at all." -Celeste Drake, a trade policy specialist with AFL-CIO

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